Zhang Tie drove his car at breakneck speed to a market in Black Flame City where he used to shop frequently.
Samira's purse was still on Zhang Tie's person. After Samira's failed attempt to steal from him at the Wild Wolf Castle, Zhang Tie kept the purse because it was still in good condition, looked nice, and was a common style. He wasn't afraid that Samira would come looking for trouble.
The two bags of rice I just bought for the family only used up a little more than half of the silver coins in my purse; there are still more than twenty gold coins left untouched.
The money in the purse was equivalent to more than two years' salary for his father, which was a considerable sum for Zhang Tie. At first, Zhang Tie felt a little heartache, but when he thought of those little ones with their bright, sparkling eyes looking at him and holding up signs that said "We are hungry," Zhang Tie couldn't harden his heart.
Zhang Tie felt as if it were truly fate. Back then, he had relied on Mother Theresa and the illusory "contract of the Oath of Soul and Blood " of the Guardian Sect to frighten Samira into not daring to attack him in court, ultimately allowing him to achieve a great victory. So today, he would use this money on the Guardian Sect's Orphanage of Compassion.
Because many ordinary people in Black Flame City only have time to shop after work in the evening, especially after food prices skyrocketed, people can buy less each time but do so more frequently. Therefore, many shops and businesses in the market do not close until after 10 p. m.
Having become very familiar with the market, Zhang Tie didn't wander around aimlessly. Instead, he drove straight to the entrance of a general trading company owned by a Chinese person.
As soon as Zhang Tie got out of the car and looked around the store, the owner warmly greeted him. Like all Chinese businessmen abroad, Zhang Tie saw the same shrewd and capable qualities in this owner as in Tang De.
Zhang Tie glanced at the various goods piled up like small mountains in the warehouse next to the shop and nodded secretly.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" The Chinese shopkeeper was very enthusiastic. His enthusiasm was partly due to Zhang Tiehua's appearance and partly due to the good reputation that Norman soldiers had when they patronized Black Flame City.
Seeing that Zhang Tie's boss spoke Mandarin, it's clear that in this era, all Hua Clan are very united. In the eyes of outsiders, the so-called Hua Clan are the kind of people who can easily form groups of two, three, or five. In any place, as long as there are more than ten Hua Clan people, generally no one dares to bully Hua Clan.
Zhang Tie didn't say anything, but simply tossed Samira's money bag over, which the Hua Clan boss caught.
"I'll spend all this money on things here. How much of a discount can you give me?" Zhang Tie also asked.
The shopkeeper simply shook the money pouch and a smile spread across his face. "For orders over twenty gold coins, we offer a three-point discount. And since you're of the Hua Clan descent, I can add another point, giving you a four-point discount, plus free delivery to your door. The profit margin on grain isn't high; this is the biggest discount I can offer!"
"Alright. Bring me the invoice, let me take a look!"
For small transactions, you don't need to look at the invoice, but for transactions of ten gold coins or more, the shopkeeper will show you an invoice to choose from. It lists everything he has in his warehouse and everything he can get his hands on.
Looking at the items on the order slip, Zhang Tie started shopping like he was ordering food at a restaurant.
50 bags of Rice, each weighing 25 kilograms...
34 bags of corn, each weighing 30 kilograms...
50 bags of flour, each weighing 25 kilograms...
140 kg of dried meat...
98 kilograms of white sugar...
127 kilograms of salt...
23 bottles of palm oil in 5kg packages
17 bottles of alcohol, each weighing two kilograms...
As Zhang Tie spoke, the Hua Clan shopkeeper hurriedly took notes. After finishing, he quickly took out an abacus and started calculating. After deducting the four-point discount he gave Zhang Tie, the final result was 26 gold coins, 18 silver coins, and 33 copper coins. He opened the money bag Zhang Tie had given him, counted the money inside, and was immediately dumbfounded. The money bag contained exactly 26 gold coins, 18 silver coins, and 33 copper coins.
The total amount paid for the goods was exactly the same as the total price.
"What, not enough?"
"That's enough, that's enough. I have just enough money in my purse, not a penny less. I was even thinking of waiving the 33 copper coins!" The Hua Clan shopkeeper's forehead was slightly sweaty. The Norman Empire officer had just casually ordered the items in less than 30 seconds. There were so many things, so varied, with different prices, and many items weren't even whole numbers. The shopkeeper had even given a 4% discount. Could this man have already calculated the prices in his head while ordering? How could that be? Even a seasoned abacus user with decades of experience took more than a minute to calculate it. How could this man know the answer at a glance? But if it was a coincidence, that was even more impossible.
For a moment, the Hua Clan boss felt that this young Norman imperial officer was unfathomable. Little did he know that Zhang Tie's " Abacus Mental Calculation the Zhang Tie " had already reached a level that even Zhang Tie himself couldn't explain. When Zhang Tie took the invoice just now, he really only glanced at it, and the amount of goods that the money in his purse could buy appeared in his mind. Zhang Tie only spent two seconds considering before deciding on the final goods he wanted.
"Can we load it onto the truck now?"
"Oh, sure, right away! All of these things will be shipped from the warehouse. I'll get the alcohol from somewhere else, so it might take a little longer..."
"Alright, hurry up, I have people waiting for these things to be cooked!"
"Okay, I'll get it done for you in ten minutes. Please come in and have some water!" The boss became even more attentive.
Ten minutes later, a truck loaded with goods and four porters followed Zhang Tie's car and headed west of Black Flame City. Before long, they arrived at Ronggu Courtyard, a commoner's Orphanage of Compassion not far from the city wall on the west side of Black Flame City.
Just like when Zhang Tie used to bring rice porridge, Mother Theresa and the other children from the Orphanage of Compassion were already standing at Orphanage of Compassion gate, eagerly waiting. Everyone knew that Zhang Tie would bring some food, but no one expected that what would come with Zhang Tie was a whole truckload of food and the most urgently needed supplies for the Orphanage of Compassion.
Rice, flour, corn, sugar, dried meat, oil, salt, and alcohol.
A whole truckload! This is the largest donation the Orphanage of Compassion Orphanage of Compassion ever received since Mother Theresa established it.
All the children in the Orphanage of Compassion cheered, and their little faces instantly blossomed into joyful smiles. The desolate Orphanage of Compassion suddenly became happy, as if it were welcoming the grandest festival.
Although he felt a little pained at first about spending the money, seeing the light and hope that welled up on the faces of the children and Mother Theresa filled Zhang Tie's heart with warmth and light, making him feel incredibly happy.
"It's all worth it," Zhang Tie told himself. He felt that true wealth might not be about how much money you have, but about how many people you can bring happiness and fulfillment with your money.
A miser with a fortune would never feel as content and happy as I do now. If I kept all that money in my pocket, I would never experience this satisfaction and joy.
Having money is a happy thing, but being able to spend that money to make the people around you happy will bring you even more happiness, satisfaction, and inner peace!
In this state of joy and satisfaction, Zhang Tie almost forgot that his injuries had not yet healed, and joined the ranks of the porters, helping to carry the things from the truck into the Orphanage of Compassion.
I had just picked up two bags of Rice with my left hand when I exerted force, and the wounds on my lower abdomen and shoulder suddenly started to hurt terribly.
Zhang Tie gritted his teeth and carried just one load of things. His face turned ashen, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The two wounds on his body seemed to become damp again.
A little girl carrying a bag of salt ran over excitedly, and before she knew it, she bumped her head into Zhang Tie's stomach. The little girl quickly apologized, but Zhang Tie's face turned pale instantly.
"It's alright, hurry up and take your things inside!" Zhang Tie smiled and sent the girl away. Then he took a few deep breaths.
Mother Theresa walked over, her eyes fixed on Zhang Tie's face.
Are you injured?
"Hmm, it's just a minor injury, nothing serious. These things should be enough for the Orphanage of Compassion to last for a while!" Zhang Tie smiled.
"May I see your wound?" Mother Theresa asked with concern.
"Grandma, do you also know how to cure illnesses?" Zhang Tie asked in a relaxed and joking tone.
"God's glory is everywhere!"
While the children and servants of the Orphanage of Compassion were excitedly preparing a sumptuous dinner in the kitchen, Zhang Tie, at Mother Theresa's insistence, had already taken off his shirt and lay down on a hard bed in Mother Theresa's prayer room at the Orphanage of Compassion.
Every so often, devout followers of the Grapis Sect would lock themselves in such prayer rooms for seven days, isolating themselves from the outside world, to pray, meditate, and purify their minds and bodies.
After the gauze and bandages were removed, the two wounds on Zhang Tie's lower abdomen and shoulder area began to bleed again. After carefully examining Zhang Tie's wounds, Mother Theresa asked Zhang Tie to lie in the prayer room and wait for her while she went to get a bottle of medicine.
Mother Theresa insisted, so Zhang Tie couldn't refuse and had to wait in the prayer room.
Two minutes later, Mother Theresa solemnly entered, carrying a small, antique-looking box of indeterminate material...
The small box was decorated with silver Olive patterns, a symbol of the Grapis Sect. Zhang Tie knew at a glance that what was inside was anything but ordinary. (To be continued, please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)